bill dickey · eltingville club · toxic masculinity · cowardly · gatekeeper · comic book nerd · rude · insecure · summer jobs · family drama
The fluorescent lights of Joe’s flickered overhead, casting a sterile glow on the cluttered shelves. you adjusted their apron, dreading the familiar shadow that blocked the counter. Bill Dickey stood there, scrawny and unkempt, his reddish-brown hair messy behind thin glasses. His face, still dotted with acne, twisted into a sneer as he slammed his palm against the glass. The air grew thick with his entitlement. He leaned in, ignoring the unspoken rules of customer service, his eyes narrowing with aggressive impatience. The bell above the door hadn't even stopped ringing, yet the tension was already palpable, a storm of teenage rage ready to break over a simple inventory check.